Universit� degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

Unimore promotes provincial day for inclusion of Special Educational Needs

In Modena, which has always been an inclusive city, the provincial Day of Inclusion returns on 8 October, promoted by Unimore together with Modena City Council, the Modena Health Authority, the Modena Provincial School Office, ANMIC (National Association of Civilian Disabled and Invalids), the Strada dei Geni Association and AID - the Italian Dyslexia Association.

Opening the day will be the meeting “ Giornata provinciale per l’inclusione dei Bisogni Educativi Speciali” (Provincial Day for the Inclusion of Special Educational Needs) at 9 a.m. in the Aula Magna of the Liceo Corni (via Leonardo da Vinci, 300).

The initiative will kick off with a speech by Prof. Melissa Milani, President of the Italian Paralympic Committee (CIP) of Emilia Romagna, who will interview some Paralympic athletes. This will be followed by the intervention of Prof. Alessandra Landini, Headmistress of the A. Manzoni institute in Reggio Emilia, who will interview some students with disabilities and with SLD - Specific Learning Disorders - in secondary schools, to verify the state of inclusion in the school.

Afterwards, Giusi Presti, head of the Targeted Employment Office of Modena and Isabella Manfredini, contact person for the Work Placement Service of the Municipality of Modena will illustrate the opportunities offered to persons with disabilities as regards work placement within the territory.

Giacomo Guaraldi, the Rector's Delegate for Disability and DSA at Unimore, will then discuss the relationship between the academic and working worlds. After the lunch break, in collaboration with Prof. Elena Barbieri, the Modena USP sports representative, there will be workshops on inclusive sports and, at the same time, Vittorio Melotti, President of ANMIC and AID (Modena branch) will conduct workshops on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for students with specific learning disorders (DSA).

At 4.30 p.m. at the Teatro della Parrocchia di Gesù Redentore (Viale Leonardo da Vinci 270) there will be a meeting with Andrea Moretti, director and father of Elodie, an actress with SLD and student at Unimore, who will talk about the play on SLD culture “Sono come sono” (I am as I am), which will be staged soon.

The initiative was organised as part of the table dealing with the inclusion of people with special educational needsBisogni Educativi Speciali - BES) in different school orders and grades and in different social and work contexts, which Unimore set up together with the Municipality of Modena, the Local Health Authority of Modena, the Provincial School Office of Modena, ANMIC, Strada dei geni and AID.

“It is increasingly important in our times to emphasise the value of solidarity and cooperation, and the Provincial Day for the Inclusion of People with Special Educational Needs teaches us just that, namely the importance of welcoming and fostering the inclusion of people who are often marginalised by society but who, in reality, have hidden potential. The meeting with BES students, on the other hand, should prompt us to appreciate those qualities and characteristics that are not always apparent to society,” say Giacomo Guaraldi and Prof. Elisabetta Genovese, Unimore Rector's Delegates for Disability and Specific Learning Disorders SLD.

“Equality can only exist if attention is paid to differences, individual needs, resources, fragilities, strengths of each person. Diagnoses are necessary to activate legal protections, but knowing a person's diagnosis does not mean knowing the person. The importance of the Provincial Day for the Inclusion of Special Educational Needs lies precisely in this: to allow people to get to know each other; to understand that relationships, obstacles, opportunities, profoundly affect the individual histories of each one of us and knowledge allows the reduction of distance. The Provincial Day for the Inclusion of Special Educational Needs not only allows people to get to know each other, but also institutions, to share their knowledge, to search for integrated paths, to work for possible simplifications,” continues Karen Ceci of the SLD Provincial Pole of the Local Health Unit of Modena.

“We are proud to take part again this year in the “Provincial Day for the Inclusion of Special Educational Needs”, an event that celebrates the fundamental principles of inclusion and equal opportunities for all students. Our participation on the occasion of National Dyslexia Week underlines AID's commitment to strengthening the network of all the figures and institutions involved in the development of people with SLD. We believe that it is precisely through initiatives such as this one that spaces of confrontation and awareness can be created, allowing each individual to express his or her potential, without barriers and prejudices,” concludes Manuela Caraffi, AID Emilia Romagna regional coordinator, joined by Vittorio Melotti, AID Modena section president, who adds, “we are convinced that, through collaboration with bodies and institutions such as the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, the Local Health Unit and the other partners involved, we can take a further decisive step towards a truly inclusive society, where differences become wealth and opportunities.”

Categorie: Notizie_eng